In-form Porte triumphs at Tour of Catalonia

Porte held off a strong challenge from Spanish Movistar rider Alejandro Valverde, who clinched the final circuit stage around Barcelona's Montjuic hill for his third triumph of the seven-day race in north-east Spain.

Valverde was second overall, four seconds adrift of Porte, with Italian Domenico Pozzovivo of AG2R-La Mondiale a second further back in third and Tinkoff-Saxo's Alberto Contador fourth, seven seconds behind Porte.

Porte, who also won the Paris-Nice stage race two weeks ago, is expected to mount a strong challenge at May's Tour of Italy, although double Tour de France champion Contador of Spain also looked in decent shape this week despite a nasty fall towards the end of Saturday's stage.

Pozzovivo and Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-Quick Step) fifth overall, also appeared in good form ahead of the Giro.

Porte's Sky team mate, Chris Froome, by contrast, still appeared out of form after the 2013 Tour de France champion was forced to skip this month's Tirreno-Adriatico with an illness and finished well down the field.